Linacre Primary School, Bootle

Ofsted's report card from its 20 January 2026 inspection grades Linacre Primary School on 7 areas: 1 needs attention and 6 urgent improvement. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "Leaders have recently introduced a revised programme to promote pupils' wider development and wellbeing."

Achievement - Urgent improvement. "Overtime, a significant proportion of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who are disadvantaged, have left the school having not achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and/or mathematics."

Attendance and behaviour - Urgent improvement. "Leaders have not addressed the extensive and ongoing issues with pupils' poor behaviour, or pupils' low rates of attendance and frequent lateness."

Curriculum and teaching - Urgent improvement. "The school has not taken decisive action to remedy long-standing weaknesses in the design of the curriculum."

Early years - Urgent improvement. "The early years curriculum is poorly planned and lacks ambition."

Inclusion - Urgent improvement. "An ingrained culture of low expectations and frequent staff instability have severely affected the support for the learning and wellbeing of vulnerable pupils."

Leadership and governance - Urgent improvement. "Leaders and governors have not ensured that the school is providing an acceptable standard of education for its pupils."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders and governors must swiftly address the high turnover of staff and frequent staff absences to reduce the school's reliance on external support. • Leaders and governors must ensure that staff's expectations of pupils' achievement and conduct are raised rapidly, leading to a culture of high aspirations for all. • Leaders and governors must take swift action to improve the behaviour of a significant proportion of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and/or have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), so that all pupils can enjoy their learning in an environment where they can thrive. • Leaders and governors must act decisively to improve pupils' attendance and punctuality, particularly pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, so that pupils do not miss out on important learning and experiences. • Leaders and governors must ensure that staff deliver a curriculum that is ambitious and well sequenced, and that meets the needs of pupils, including those from vulnerable groups and children in the early years. • Leaders and governors must ensure that any barriers to pupils' learning, including in the early years, are identified accurately and resolved swiftly so that pupils achieve well and thrive. • Leaders and governors must ensure that gaps in pupils' basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics are addressed swiftly so that pupils can access the full breadth of the curriculum effectively. Leaders and governors must also ensure that pupils develop a love of reading, so that they read widely and often. • Leaders and governors must ensure that staff are well trained so that they have the knowledge and skills necessary to carry out their roles effectively. • Leaders should ensure that the recent improvements to the programme to enhance pupils' personal development and wellbeing are embedded thoroughly, so that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain".

The school runs a breakfast club.

In 2025, 38% of Year 6 pupils at Linacre Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 46% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Sefton and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 52% in reading and 57% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 11 families put Linacre Primary School as their first choice and 45 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Linacre Primary School are Linacre Primary School (under 0.1 miles); King's Lander Primary Academy (0.3 miles, 63% reading, 70% maths); St Elizabeth's Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 83% reading, 88% maths); and Thomas Gray Primary School (0.3 miles).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Linacre Primary School.

60.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 29.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (50%), Black (23%) and Asian (9%).

In 2026, 34 pupils (25.4%) received SEN support and 9 (6.7%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

Linacre Primary School had 10 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Bootle New Strand Rail Station, about 690 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Knowsley Road (adjacent), 90 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Linacre Primary School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 561 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Sefton (165), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Linacre Primary School issued 7 suspensions, 5.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Linacre Primary School are King's Leadership Academy Hawthornes (0.4 miles) and Hillside High School (1 mile).